American SaddleryArizona Rancher SaddleRoping Saddles

Purchase: I bought this saddle after cancelling my previous order of a Saddlesmith Cimarron Roper saddle..waited for more than two months and still no saddle (they told me to wait another thirty days). Heck, I could have had a custom saddle completely finished in that time period.
Anyways I always liked the look of a Ranch/Roper saddle even though I don't do roping so I went to Country Supply and found this saddle for $1099. shipping included.

Likes: This saddle comes in only size 16 (my size)with basketweave border tooling, bucking rolls, rope strap and solid brass conchos and medium oil finish. The tree is A-fork made by Steele Saddle tree (also used in more expensive saddles by other companies). It has a roughout seat(not padded) with a cantle height of 5 inches. The horn diameter is 4 inches. Rigging is at 7/8 position. Looking at it from the side really gives you an impression of a deep, secure saddle and a really sturdy one at that. Really beautiful and made for rough work. Nothing fancy about it if you compare it to custom saddles.

Dislikes: The only thing I don't like about it is the oxbow stirrups..kinda uncomfortable for me. So I switched a pair of basketweave tapaderos from my old saddle that perfectly matched it.

Quality: The saddle came within a week of ordering even though the website says it will take 14 business days for delivery..awesome.
The saddle was delivered via Fedex with the horn wrapped in foam and box was in good condition.
Close examination revealed a really handsome saddle with uniform staining throughout the basketweave pattern which includes the top of the horn. The brass conchos look great and the rigging is solid brass. The borders of the cantle and the horn is rawhide..nice touch. The saddle came with a number marked below the American Saddlery logo. The leather used appears to be high quality including the girth leathers. I have not seen any defects so far...knock on wood. Excellent quality for the price.

Summary: I went trail riding with it today and so far I'm very happy with it. The saddle fits me perfectly..more secure than my other saddles. It's very comfortable especially for a saddle with no seat padding. The stirrup leathers are somewhat pliant as I have only minimal difficulty with twisting it laterally (anatomical position)while riding.
Overall a handsome ranch saddle that weighs maybe 35-40 lbs. Really made for rough work.
I know I'll be using this saddle for a long time to come.